


Laundry Day (See You There)

by AccidentalAvenger



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: First Meeting, Laundromat AU, M/M, and arguments about the gender binary, that turn out well, unfortunate drunken blunders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-08
Updated: 2014-11-08
Packaged: 2018-02-24 14:32:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2584787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AccidentalAvenger/pseuds/AccidentalAvenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You," says Apollo, his voice accusing, "You put your red clothes in with my white clothes!"</p><p>Ah. Yes, Grantaire had done that.</p><p>Apollo folds his arms and glares pointedly at Grantaire who swallows nervously. There’s a silence between them which is filled by the busy hum of the surrounding washing machines.<br/>"In my defense I was pretty drunk at the time," Grantaire begins to explain but tails off at the cold expression on Apollo’s marble features. It’s evident someone has no sympathy for drunken blunders.<br/>"All my white clothes are now pink," Apollo tells him through gritted teeth, "Pink."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Laundry Day (See You There)

"You!" exclaims a furious voice from behind him.

Grantaire gulps and pulls out his headphones, slowly spinning round to see a gorgeous blond in a faded pink t-shirt approaching him with definite intent and anger written across his face. The blond reaches him and stops, breathing angrily.  
"You." he repeats.  
"Me," confirms Grantaire, wondering what exactly he had done to piss this guy off. He recognises the blond - they often did their laundry at the same time; Saturdays and Wednesdays around four o’clock. Grantaire had tried very hard not to stare too much at the extremely attractive man he had unconsciously nicknamed Apollo.

"You," says Apollo again, his voice accusing, "You put your red clothes in with my white clothes!"

Ah. Yes, Grantaire had done that.

Apollo folds his arms and glares pointedly at Grantaire. Grantaire swallows nervously. There’s a silence between them which is filled by the busy hum of the surrounding washing machines.  
"Well?" Apollo eventually asks.  
"In my defense I was pretty drunk at the time," Grantaire begins to explain but tails off at the cold expression on Apollo’s marble features. It’s evident someone has no sympathy for drunken blunders.  
"All my white clothes are now pink," Apollo tells him through gritted teeth, "Pink."

'Well what am I supposed to do about it?' Grantaire thinks, slightly annoyed but just says, “Sorry.”  
"I have an important conference tomorrow and unless I want to wear a pink shirt to it I’m going to have to buy a new one," Apollo intones, "Courfeyrac is having the time of his life, laughing at me."  
Grantaire wonders if Courfeyrac is Apollo’s boyfriend and feels a quick flash of disappointment.  
"You could always go with the pink?" he suggests, not knowing what else to do, "It suits you."

Apollo opens his mouth, ready to angrily reply before shutting it again, looking confused. “What?” he asks, staring at Grantaire like he just spat on the row of dryers beside them.  
"Pink suits you," Grantaire says, trying to ignore the disgusted expression, "Pink’s your colour. You don’t even have worry about your masculinity being damaged - you just look good."  
Apollo snorts. “I don’t care about my masculinity,” he states derisively, “The gender binary is a ridiculous social construct which is extremely damaging.”  
Grantaire rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah,” he agrees dryly, “Fuck the patriarchy and all that shit.”  
Apollo bristles. “It isn’t just ‘shit,’” he says imperiously, “The patriarchy is a serious problem and it’s terrible that people are held to gender roles that they don’t identify or agree with.”  
"It’s a tiny percentage that the majority of people aren’t even aware exist," Grantaire counters, folding his arms and tilting his head. The blond raises his chin as Grantaire continues, "Enforced gender roles might be wrong but they’re pretty embedded in our society. It’s not like a few people refusing to conform is going to change anything."  
"That’s not true!" Apollo argues, glaring angrily at him, "It changes people’s assumptions and raises awareness!"  
"Like that does anything," Grantaire scoffs.  
"It’s a start!"  
"It’s also an end usually."

Apollo shakes his head and sighs. “You must be the most infuriatingly cynical person I have ever met,” he snaps and Grantaire gives a slight bow, his elbow knocking against the dryer beside him.  
"Why thank you. I am indeed an infuriating cynic," he says cockily and Apollo rolls his eyes.  
"And what does that achieve?" he asks pretentiously.  
"Well you aren’t mad at me about putting my reds in with your whites anymore," Grantaire points out and expects the blond man to explode but he just gives a short laugh. He has a nice laugh - musical. It’s just unfair, Grantaire decides.

"No. You’re going to have to make that one up to me," Apollo says, his voice lighter and less angry than before, and Grantaire grabs his chance.  
"I could always buy you coffee," he suggests, desperately trying to sound nonchalant and probably failing miserably. Apollo’s brow furrows and he doesn’t reply, just frowning at the other man. Grantaire’s stomach feels like a block of lead and there’s a cold finger of embarrassment creeping up his spine. He’s so stupid; of course someone like Apollo wouldn’t go for a coffee with an annoying, random guy at his laundromat. Courfeyrac probably is his boyfriend. He’s miles out of Grantaire’s league anyway-

"Okay," Apollo agrees, breaking through Grantaire’s panicked thoughts. Grantaire finally breathes again and relaxes. He hadn’t even realised he had been so tense.  
"Seriously?" he asks in disbelief. Apollo shrugs.  
"You’re buying obviously. Anyway it’s a chance for me to prove you wrong," he says and Grantaire feels slightly shell-shocked.  
"Oh come on - even you can’t be that stupidly optimistic," he snorts.  
"You’ll see," Apollo replies, giving a slight smile as he holds out his hand, "I’m Enjolras, by the way."  
"Grantaire," Grantaire tells him as he shakes his hand and smiles shyly back, "It’s nice to meet you Enjolras."


End file.
